The prevention of lowered contrast and lowered visibility caused by external light reflection or image reflection is required of image display devices, for example, cathode-ray tube display devices (CRTs), plasma displays (PDPs), electroluminescent displays (ELDs), or liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Accordingly, it is common practice to provide a reflection preventive laminate on the outermost surface of an image display device from the viewpoint of reducing image reflection or reflectance using the principle of light scattering or the principle of optical interference.
In image display devices, for example, liquid crystal displays, the use of an anti-dazzling laminate as one of antireflection laminates has hitherto been known for realizing regulating optical properties to realize excellent image displays. The anti-dazzling laminate is utilized for preventing a lowering in visibility as a result of external light reflection or image reflection within image display devices. The anti-dazzling laminate is generally realized by forming an anti-dazzling layer having a concavoconvex shape on a base material. In conventional image display devices, for example, liquid crystal displays, the use of an anti-dazzling laminate as one antireflection laminate has hitherto been known for regulating optical properties to realize excellent image display. The anti-dazzling laminate is utilized for preventing a lowering in visibility as a result of external light reflection or image reflection within image display devices. The anti-dazzling laminate is produced as having a concavoconvex shape obtained by curing a composition containing various particles, or having a concavoconvex shape formed by embossing (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 341070/2004).
In recent years, a demand for a higher level of definition of panel resolution has led to a higher level of fineness of the concavoconcex shape of the anti-dazzling layer. Accordingly, a concavoconvex shape having a broad and large curve has been regarded as unsuitable for meeting a demand for higher definition in the anti-dazzling laminate having the above construction and thus have not been adopted. On the other hand, when increasing the fineness of the concavoconvex shape involved in higher definition of panel resolution can meet a demand for higher definition of the panel resolution. Regarding this technique, however, it has often been pointed out that, for example, external light is reflected from the display surface resulting in such a phenomenon that, for example, the image display surface is seen white (whitening), or lowered contrast. When the anti-dazzling laminate is used on the image display surface of notebook computers and the like, a certain level of satisfactory optical properties can be provided. When the light transmitted through the backside of backlight within a display is transmitted through the concavoconvex shape face of the anti-dazzling laminate formed on the outermost surface of the panel, however, the concavoconvex shape functions as fine lenses which disturb the displayed pixels and the like, that is, “glare” is likely to occur. This unfavorable phenomenon makes it difficult to attain the effect of the anti-dazzling laminate per se. In particular, the occurrence of the “glare” increases with increasing the definition of the panel resolution, and, thus, effectively preventing this unfavorable phenomenon has been desired.
In order to eliminate this “glare,” for example, a method has been adopted in which surface concavoconvexes are densely provided to enhance the sharpness and, at the same time, scattering particles different from the resin for anti-dazzling layer formation in refractive index are added to impart internal scattering effect to the anti-dazzling laminate. All of proposed methods could satisfactorily solve the problem of the “glare,” but on the other hand, they sometimes lowered the visibility of the whole image. On the other hand, in the anti-dazzling laminate, the method for reducing the “glare” in high-definition panels has been regarded as a main cause of an unfavorable phenomenon, for example, a deterioration in contrast such as clouding caused by surface whitening, internal scattering effect or the like. That is, it has been regarded that “glare prevention” and “contrast improvement” are in the relationship of tradeoff, and simultaneously meeting both the requirements is difficult. In the above methods, for example, black color reproduction including glossy black feeling (wet glossy black color) in on-screen display, contrast and the like have sometimes been poor. That is, gradation rendering of black color in a light room, particularly a black color gradation difference in low gradation, cannot be regarded without difficulties resulting in lowered sensitivity. Specifically, black and gray colors are only recognized as a blurred and identical color-tone black color. In particular, it can be said that an anti-dazzling laminate having better anti-glare properties has a significantly lowered level of visibility.
Accordingly, at the present time, the development of a production process (and production apparatus) for an optical laminate, which can effectively prevent the glare of an image surface and, at the same time, can realize good black color reproduction, especially glossy black feeling, has been desired. In particular, a production process (and production apparatus) for an optical laminate, which can be used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) as well as in other applications such as cathode ray tube display devices (CRTs), plasma displays (PDPs), fluorescent display tubes, and field emission-type displays.